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The reason I'm excited is because he was a huge part of the Pens. My mother who was a huge Pens fan always loved him. So as I watch him it will remind me of being at the games with my mom. I go to several Flyers games every year when they aren't playing the Pens I root for them. Jags and superstar will give me a reason to cheer.

"When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself."
-Wayne Dyer

The reason I'm excited is because he was a huge part of the Pens. My mother who was a huge Pens fan always loved him. So as I watch him it will remind me of being at the games with my mom. I go to several Flyers games every year when they aren't playing the Pens I root for them. Jags and superstar will give me a reason to cheer.

Ugh. Can't stand Jagr now. Used to like him, but that was some annoying **** he pulled by signing with the Flyers. The only Flyers player I will be rooting for is Talbo.

Extra Special

To say that the Penguins’ special teams play was the reason the club pulled out a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild at CONSOL Energy Center Saturday afternoon in the “Free Game for Kids” is like saying Mario Lemieux is the great hockey player of all time.

Both are ridiculously obvious.

The Penguins’ power play scored four goals (three in one sequence of penalties), while their penalty killers successfully averted all nine disadvantages – including two five-on-three shorthanded series.

“We tried to establish a couple things. One of them is right off the faceoff being in a shooter’s mentality,” head coach Dan Bylsma said. “I think it was good to see our power play try to establish some things that an effective power play does and then get rewarded. We did those tonight.”

The dynamic of the game changed in the middle of the second period after Marco Scandella was given two two-minute penalties for instigating. The Penguins had already been on the power play, and the additional penalty gave them a 5-on-3.

Pittsburgh made the most of the opportunity. Eighteen-year-old defenseman Joseph Morrow, the Penguins’ first-round pick (23rd overall) in 2011, lit up a one-timer from the point that eluded goaltender Niklas Backstrom to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.

It was his first goal scored at this high a level of competitive hockey.

“I mean, I’m expecting to wake up tomorrow morning and this will all be a dream for me, but I think I’m awake right now,” Morrow said. “I pinched myself a couple times, but I didn’t expect any of this. To have the opportunity the coaches give me on the power play and penalty kill, to have the amount of ice time I’ve been given, and to play with the players I’ve been playing with, it’s been phenomenal. It’s unbelievable.”

“We’ve heard about and talked about his shot, we saw that tonight,” Bylsma said. “We heard about his skating ability, and that’s been on display in the two games that he’s played. And the one thing the quality of the person and the confidence for an 18-year old kid has been exceptional. It’s kind of coming through as you see him playing games.

“He looks under control, he looks confident in his ability and we see the attributes that made him a high draft pick. He’s been outstanding. He’s been pretty calm and collected and confident under the fire of two exhibition games.”

The Penguins would add two more power-play goals over the next two-plus minutes with forward Pascal Dupuis and defenseman Brian Strait getting scores. Strait’s goal came at the end of a perfectly executed faceoff play.

“I think we were trying to run a one-timer and it just came straight back to me,” Strait said. “It was a great play by the centerman there. I just saw it and saw an open lane, fired on that and I don't think the goalie ever saw it. It was unbelievable. The guys have been doing a great job on that and it paid off on my goal.”

Malkin concluded the scoring with a power-play goal five minutes into the third period to give the Penguins a 4-0 lead.

But the Penguins’ PK unit, ranked No. 1 in the NHL last year with an 86.1-percent success rate, was just as marvelous as the power play. The group killed off all nine shorthanded situations, with two 5-on-3 disadvantages.

No play or player symbolized the penalty killers more than forward Joe Vitale in the second period.

With his team down two men, Vitale was a part of the three-man PK group. An errant puck was sliding toward the boards. A Wild player had leverage to reach it first, but Vitale dove forward, laying out his body and swatting the puck out of the zone with his outreached stick.

“You got to be strong on draws like that and be aggressive like we were there,” Vitale said. “To be aggressive right of the bat and right off the draws, and I think we did that. They kind of fumbled the puck here and there a little bit, so when you kind of put pressure on, you give yourself a chance to make plays like that.”

Combine all those special teams elements together and the result is a 4-1 triumph.

Pens' Crosby plays in scrimmage; no return set

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby participated in a controlled scrimmage on Sunday as he continues his comeback from concussion-like symptoms that have kept him off the ice since January.

Crosby took face-offs and worked on set plays alongside his teammates in his first five-on-five action since training camp opened last weekend.

The former MVP says he has been symptom-free throughout camp but continues to wear a white helmet during practice to indicate he still hasn't been cleared for contact.

"Everything's been really good," Crosby said. "I haven't ran into any issues so far so it's been pretty smooth."

Crosby has worked relentlessly during the first week of camp during drills, often to the point of exhaustion.

Crosby added he's been impressed with the Penguins, who are unbeaten in three preseason games. Center Evgeni Malkin, who missed the second half of last season with a knee injury, has two goals and three assists in two games.

When Malkin and Crosby will be on the ice at the same time remains uncertain. There still is no timetable for Crosby's return, though he considers Sunday's work another step in the recovery process.

"I think it's been a lot of fun just being out there and competing and doing typical things you're used to doing as a hockey player," he said.

The Penguins continue the preseason on Tuesday against Los Angeles in Kansas City.

Pens' Crosby 'feels good' after scrimmage

Sidney Crosby participated in a controlled scrimmage Sunday and said afterward he was feeling good.

″I've come a long way,″ said Crosby, who also talked yesterday with Penguins season-ticket holders during a team-organized town hall meeting at Consol Energy Center. ″I enjoy being back with the guys.″

For Crosby, this was his first five-on-five action of training camp. However, he still avoided contact, and there remains no timetable for his game-ready return from the concussion symptoms that kept him off ice for months.

Crosby hasn't played in a game since Jan. 5, when he sustained a concussion against Tampa Bay.

After yesterday's practice, Crosby joined teammates Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury for a question-and-answer event with fans. Also taking part were team CEO David Morehouse, general manager Ray Shero and coach Dan Bylsma.

During the lighthearted hour-long Q&A period hosted by broadcaster Steve Mears, there were submitted questions about offseason activities, locker-room antics and this year's hopes, among other topics such as favorite foods and music. The players were seated atop an on-ice platform and fans were in the lower seats of the arena.

One question asked about former teammate Max Talbot signing with the Flyers: ″Max was a good friend — key word there is 'was,' ″ Staal said with a laugh.

When Fleury was asked the hardest part about playing goalie, a fan shouted ″stopping the puck″ before Fleury had a chance to answer. So, Fleury agreed: ″Yeah, stopping the puck.″

When Malkin was asked to choose which team he disliked more, the Capitals or Flyers, he drew laughs when he admitted he couldn't pick.

Bylsma also drew a laugh when the subject turned to Jaromir Jagr: ″I can't wait for Dec. 29,″ Bylsma said of the date the Flyers travel to Pittsburgh. ″It's going to be interesting. I can't wait to see what you fans have in store for him.″